Kenneth Cranham reads Matthew Sweet's dark history of the scandalous life above and below stairs in London's grand hotels during the Second World War.While bombs rain down on London's East End, life in the capital's glittering hotels carries on regardless, with hotels like the Ritz, the Dorchester, the Savoy and Claridge's becoming mini Casablancas, where spies and con artists, traitors and royalty rub shoulders under the reinforced ceilings.Today: as rationing hits, London's well-heeled diners chomp their way through acorns, turnips and eels in a nod to the war effort.Reader: Kenneth CranhamProducer: Justine WillettAbridger: Viv BeebyWriter: Matthew Sweet - presenter of 'Night Waves' and 'Freethinking' on BBC Radio 3, as well as several documentaries on BBC Four, and author of 'Inventing the Victorians' and 'Shepperton Babylon'.London's well-heeled diners sample the delights of acorns, turnips and eels.

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20111115

Kenneth Cranham reads Matthew Sweet's dark history of the scandalous life above and below stairs in London's grand hotels during the Second World War.While bombs rain down on London's East End, life in the capital's glittering hotels carries on regardless, with hotels like the Ritz, the Dorchester, the Savoy and Claridge's becoming mini Casablancas, where spies and con artists, traitors and royalty rub shoulders under the reinforced ceilings.Today: as the Blitz begins in earnest, a group of East Enders storm the Savoy in demand of decent shelter for all.Reader: Kenneth CranhamProducer: Justine WillettAbridger: Viv Beeby.As the bombs rain down, a group of East Enders storm the Savoy in demand of shelter.

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20111116

Kenneth Cranham reads Matthew Sweet's dark history of the scandalous life above and below stairs in London's grand hotels during the Second World War.While bombs rain down on London's East End, life in the capital's glittering hotels carries on regardless, with hotels like the Ritz, the Dorchester, the Savoy and Claridge's becoming mini Casablancas, where spies and con artists, traitors and royalty rub shoulders under the reinforced ceilings.Today: two clandestine networks - the homosexual subculture and London's spy community - form an unlikely alliance at the bar below the Ritz.Reader: Kenneth CranhamProducer: Justine WillettAbridger: Viv Beeby.Two clandestine networks form an unlikely alliance at the bar below the Ritz.

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20111117

Kenneth Cranham reads Matthew Sweet's dark history of the scandalous life above and below stairs in London's grand hotels during the Second World War.While bombs rain down on London's East End, life in the capital's glittering hotels carries on regardless, with hotels like the Ritz, the Dorchester, the Savoy and Claridge's becoming mini Casablancas, where spies and con artists, traitors and royalty rub shoulders under the reinforced ceilings.Today: Mussolini's involvement in the conflict breeds hostility against Italians - and the Savoy's waiting staff must prove their allegiance to Britain or face detentionReader: Kenneth CranhamProducer: Justine WillettAbridger: Viv Beeby.The Savoy's waiting staff must prove their allegiance to Britain or face detention.

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Kenneth Cranham reads the final part of Matthew Sweet's history of the scandalous life above and below stairs in London's grand hotels during the Second World War.While bombs rain down on London's East End, life in the capital's glittering hotels carries on as usual, with the Ritz, the Dorchester, the Savoy and Claridge's transforming themselves into mini Casablancas.Today: cabinet ministers and spies, anti-Semites and zionists, dowagers and showgirls - the weird and wonderful clientele of the Dorchester carries on regardless.Reader: Kenneth CranhamProducer: Justine WillettAbridger: Viv Beeby.The weird and wonderful clientele of the Dorchester carries on regardless.